Pyne: Only state schools will face cuts

FEDERAL Education Minister Christopher Pyne has reopened an old wound over whether state or private schools should get more funding, declaring state schools will be the only ones to face cuts.

Mr Pyne reportedly made the comments during a tense meeting with state education ministers in Sydney today.

The meeting followed a week of announcements from Mr Pyne, that Labor had cut the education budget by $1.2 billion, he had reinstated $230 million of that, and Labor's much-touted school reforms would be history by 2015.

Mr Pyne has instead promised to announce details early next year of his model for school funding, feeding on fears from unions and state governments it may not be the same deal promised before the election.

However Mr Pyne said the deal would actually be better, particularly for areas like Queensland, which in the interim will get $131 million in school funding added a "level of difficulty and uncertainty" to education funding.

He said Mr Pyne had ended six months of "peace" over school funding, in doing so re-starting a "30-year war" on which states and which schools get what.

Mr Piccoli was not alone, backed by all states except Queensland, West Australia and the Northern Territory.

He said the majority of states and territories were demanding Mr Pyne honour six year agreements promised by Labor, despite Mr Pyne repeatedly saying he would only pay for four years.